There are two main ways to end a tenancy. The landlord or the tenant can serve notice, ending the tenancy according to the rules laid out in the contract. Alternatively, both the landlord and the tenant can agree to end the tenancy by mutual agreement.

In the first situation, the rules of the contract must be followed closely because only one party wants to end the tenancy, and the rules of the tenancy agreement are there to ensure this happens fairly and smoothly.

In the second, because both parties are happy to proceed according to new, agreed terms, the tenancy-ending mechanisms in the contract (e.g. how much notice to give) don’t have to be followed. This is called a surrender of tenancy.

This is a guide on how landlords can evict tenants who routinely fail to pay the rent or have run up large rent arrears. This is a very serious thing to do, but it’s also a clear and well-trodden process.

Two Kinds of Deposit Protection Scheme

There are two kinds of scheme that landlords can use to register a rental security deposit: custodial and insured.

The main difference between them is simple. Under a custodial scheme, the money is held by the scheme provider; under an insured scheme, the landlord can keep the money in their own bank account during the tenancy.